Red Dog set to pass Tomorrow, When The War Began’s box office takings

05 September, 2011 by
Sam Dallas

Feel-good family movie Red Dog continues to bite at the local box office, posting another strong weekend despite mainstream film openings.

The Australian drama placed second among other mainstream films, after taking a further $1.7 million across 260 screens, giving it a healthy screen average of $6382. This is 14 per cent down on last weekend's box office.

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With a budget of roughly $8.5 million, the Kriv Stenders film about a hitchhiking dog that unites an isolated mining town, has now grossed an impressive $12.9 million. It is set to top last year’s biggest hit Tomorrow, When The War Began this week (which grossed $13.5 million).

US black comedy Horrible Bosses beat the lovable canine in its second weekend, raking in $2.2 million from 342 screens while The Help – which has been number one in the US for the past three weekends – took $1 million for Disney in its first weekend.

Horror lovers keen on some 3D-death scenes helped Final Destination 5 place fourth in its first weekend, taking $965,774 for Warner Bros, while rom-com Friends With Benefits rounded off the top five with $748,198 after three weeks.

Madman’s Big Mamma’s Boy, a rom-com based in Melbourne, managed $2819 from just four screens, in its sixth week.

In other films, controversial comedy The Guard made a healthy $295,415 from 48 screens, Bodyguard made $216,904 (16 screens) and Beginners grossed $114,616 (25 screens).

Meanwhile, Melbourne-shot horror flick Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark grossed another $US4.9 million in its second weekend in the US, from 2780 screens, according to Rentrak data. The film, produced by Guillermo del Toro and starring Guy Pearce and Katie Holmes, currently has a November 3 release date in Australia, however the project keeps getting pushed back for release, initially due to Disney’s sale of Miramax. Hopscotch Films ended up acquiring the rights to Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, which is a remake of a 1970s horror film.